SusanB55

OMG, the hoops are God-awful. Seriously. Could I tell you some stories, lol!

@@love4life @@Apple85 Hi there How did your surgery go love4life? I live in east Tucson and both my husband and I are patients of Dr.Monash. We have BCBS Fed and hubby was approved really fast. His surgery is May 2 (sleeve). My case was submitted on Thursday (4-21) and I'm a nervous wreck. I have a lap band and want the sleeve. Monash is very very against doing both in one session and that is quite disappointing. I know safety is most important, but I will beg him to do it if I am approved, lol. All the dozens of times I've been in that office, I have never seen Dr. Lovato. I wonder if she does revisions in same surgery. Would love to hear from you both and any other Tucson Bariatric patients. ~Susan

As far as I know, there are only 2 bariatric surgeons in Tucson. There are lots more in Phoenix but that would be too far and inconvenient. I am just gonna beg him to do both procedures and I will tell him that money is a big problem for us. My daughter' s wedding is in august and I was so hoping to be losing weight by then. But if it has to be done in two surgeries months apart, I'm screwed.

Whey isolate is much higher quality Protein and better absorbed by the body. My nutritionist would only allow shakes with whey isolate. I actually liked the vanilla Body Fortress whey isolate. We actually bought the vanilla body fortress isolate a week ago and had to return it. I then read the reviews and saw all 1 stars and the people were complaining that the formula had been changed, that it was very good at one time and now it was terrible! Wish I had read the reviews before buying it!

@@jaxmom yes! You are so fortunate!!!

Oh wow, two months would take it right up to the wedding! It has to be sooner than that. No, we don't have anybody to help us out either. This may not work out like I had plannes, lol.

You are so fortunate to have a surgeon that was willing to do both procedures in one surgery. My surgeon has almost flat out told me he wouldn't but at my insistence, he said he would play it by ear once he gets in there. He says he won't do it if it isn't 'safe', but I think he is just overly cautious. It is frustrating because it is $500 in copays for each hospital stay between the hospital, dr and his co-surgeon. Ugh. I am not a rich woman!

Thank you Dasha for your kind response I am a worry wart by nature, but he is 65, diabetic and has other complications. He has never had major surgery, unlike me. So I worry that this will be a really tough surgery for him. Four hours is still a lot of time in the operating room! Yikes! How is your pain level right now? I was just submitted for a band-to-sleeve revision yesterday. I'm scared of everything. Scared of being denied. Scared that when/if my surgeon goes in, he won't sleeve me in the same operation, which is what he does 95% of the time. He is super conservative and likes to do it in two sessions. Ugh, that means two hospital stays, two sets of expenses, two times under general, two times in pain etc. NOT interested in that. I watched so many videos yesterday where the surgeons were doing both in same surgery. These surgeons obviously felt it was safe enough!

Even after all the abdominal surgeries I've had that involved being 'blown up', I can't remember for the life of me how it felt. Getting old really sucks, lol.

We really like Body Fortress whey chocolate. It's cheap at Walmart, about $19 tub. Best mixed with 1% milk and 2 tbsp of PB2. Do NOT get the Isolate formula tho! It's terrible.

Yeah and I personally think that there is a bit of exaggeration with their time amount. I've noticed a couple other comments that just seems off lol.

Congrats! You did it! My husband will be sleeved on May 2. I am pretty nervous for him. I have heard from my Dr's office that the surgery takes about a half hour. Were there complications that made your surgery 4 hours long?

This might date me, but that's what Barney Fife did! He had to pass a weigh in so he wore a heavy metal link chain under his shirt lol!!

Our insurance liason has always said that you must have a BMI of 35 and at least 1 co-morbordity or 40 BMI and no co-morbodity.

Oh no, my surgeon is on board. He wants to do the revision. It's all about the insurance and whether they will approve it. I've seen several posts on here that said their insurance said the revision wasn't medically necessary. That would be a nightmare! All of these appts, time and money just to be heartbroken. Best of luck to you and my hubby on May 2!!!

Oh and lucky us....we get to pay TWO surgeon copays of $200 each. Sheesh.

Our dr supervised WL class is nothing like it sounds lol. We are just told about the surgery, after surgery, what to expect, watch short videos, and a bit of nutrition advice...all by the NP who assists the surgeon,. Never once have i been told to lose weight. Tomorrow is my last NUT and dr supervised and then I should be submitted. My hubby was approved and will be sleeved on may 2. I need a band to sleeve revision and I am super worried that I wil be denied.

Me too!!!!! When is your day? Have you jumped through all the hoops and been authorized?

What insurance do you have? Does Lindstrom charge a lot to help?

That's my husband's surgery date too! Very exciting! He has completed all of his appts with the last one today, the upper endoscopy. He is ready! Maybe they will be able to move up his surgery date, which would be even better. I will have completed my 3 months of jumping through ins/dr hoops tomorrow so my case will be submitted to insurance. My case is a bit different from my hubbies tho. He has many co-morbodities so I knew he'd be approved. I have sleep apnea and BMI of 37, but I also have a band that I want removed and then sleeved, hopefully all at once. I've read sooooooooo many revision stories on here and I would estimate about 50% are denied. I am not feeling very hopeful

Oh boy!! Best wishes to you!

Yes!! Call!!

I know. Everything you both are saying is sensible. I am just an impatient person once the wheels are turning. My husband is being sleeved May 2, or maybe sooner if the surgery can be moved up sooner. I am supposed to follow 3-4 weeks after him, or so that is the plan, lol. Here's the major reason for my impatience and I think any lady and/or mom can relate. My youngest daughter is getting married on August 26 out of state. I need to have surgery ASAP, lose weight ASAP so that I can find a decent dress that will fit me as last minute as possible plus shoes, purse, etc etc. I don't even have decent casual wear and just wear muu-muu type housedresses around the house all day. I don't have one single item of clothing that is decent that I can take along and trying to find clothes that fit me now is horrible. I'm so fat and ugly. And my daughter wants me to walk her down the aisle. Please pray for a fast approval and best conditions so that I can awaken sleeved! Thank you I. am. so. nervous.

This is what I am worried about. BCBS may not think my revision is medically necessary. So the doc is going to have to make the case that I've been vomiting for years and have already had one slipped band (not this current one tho as I had an upper GI-all looks ok) and a hiatal hernia. The other band was replaced under a previous insurance. It is REALLY going to suck when/if my husband has his sleeve and I'm still stuck with the band that is nothing but trouble.What state are u in, bcbs is different in each state. Your story worries me because I have Bcbstx and I'm currently waiting on insurance approval to have my band removed, and revise to the sleeve. Bcbstx does pay for first surgery, 2nd and revisions, they list requirements for each. I meet their requirements for 2nd surgery which would be removal, and I also meet revision if I have slip, dilation or erosion. My surgeon says I have some slip, just don't know if it's enough for them, so I'm still waiting to see what they say, its been 1 week since documents where submitted Sent from my XT1254 using the BariatricPal App

Hi, I'm curious as to what insurance you have that approved the revision? I have BCBS Fed and I'm terrified they will deny me. I have heard that the insurance companies come back saying that the removal/revision is not medically necessary. Altho I do not have a slipped band or a hiatal hernia at this time, I wish I did. Then perhaps my insurance will approve it. Ugh. How are you doing now? You are almost a week out and I hope you are doing well. Let us know